Archives for posts tagged ‘Weekly Photos’

I started self guided Hypnobirthing and I love it. I’ve been having trouble sleeping and more than anything listening to the tracks help me fully relax and fall asleep with ease. I probably need to practice more than I do but right now I’m so grateful to have something that helps me sleep.

Heartburn! Yeah, its unpleasant but I’m dealing with it.

So so much back pain…lower, middle and upper. It hurts everywhere. I got my first real prenatal massage on Monday, it was wonderful. They have these special supports that allow you to lay face down without squishing the belly. It definitely helped along with the stretching I do but the pain does just come back, so another unpleasantry that I’m learning to live with.

So despite the few discomforts I’m doing really well. I love being pregnant and I’m happy to take the bad with all the good. It’s wonderful how kind and generous the world is to pregnant women, I truly feel so special and I’m reminded often what an incredible thing is happening to me!

I wanted to get this picture up before week 25 was over but I’m too exhausted to write about anything. I did a makeup job for 12 hours yesterday, wasn’t able to sleep thanks to the new development of pregnancy insomnia and I just finished a 2 hour glucose screening test. I’m going to finally eat now and relax. More updates later.

Getting pretty big over here. The bump has officially moved me over to maternity clothing only. Originally, I thought I’d be fine just wearing some of my bigger non-maternity shirts throughout the pregnancy but that is definitely not the case. There is a reason maternity clothes exist, they are more comfortable and they are cut specifically for the bowling ball living under your shirt. My growing bump is also making it difficult to bend too far over and putting on shoes is slowly becoming the most annoying part of leaving the apartment. Baby is still super active and strong, moving around constantly and morphing my belly into all sorts of funny shapes. I can feel his kicks as high as about an inch above my belly button. And speaking of belly button, mine is close to being completely flat with my belly and its so interesting to see and touch the fresh skin that has never been so exposed before.

On the non-physical side of things, I seem to be an emotional wreck recently. In the early stages of pregnancy I read about the roller coster of emotions that women go through but for me that was never the case. I was perfectly even-keeled but these days I seem to be going through what I missed out on in those first few months. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve cried harder than I’ve cried since I was 11 years old finding out my parents were getting a divorce. I’m having straight up melt downs with uncontrollable crying that last for a good 10-15 minutes. The kind of crying that turns my face red and blotchy and leaves me trying to catch my breath. Granted I’m crying over things that are pretty legit but I don’t think I’d be responding in such a way if I wasn’t pregnant. I know I could handle the stress of a difficult apartment closing that leaves me worrying if we will lose our deposit and have no place to live other than our tiny studio apartment when the baby comes, without excessive sobbing if I wasn’t pregnant. I certainly would have bounced back much quicker after learning that I had to cancel a party for 100 people I’d been planning for months and spent a good amount of money and creativity on. And I’ve dealt with drama with my in-laws many times over the years without a melt down. But I guess everything just seems BIGGER, much bigger, beyond serious and real in a way I’ve never experienced before. Every time something goes wrong, I think about how its not just going wrong for me but for this little baby growing inside me as well. I can’t bring him into a perfect world and I know even if I could, a perfect world would make him incredibly boring and unmotivated but there is that part of me that wishes I could keep him from any sadness. Maybe that’s why it seems so big because I’m trying to take on not only my own feelings but his as well, maybe if I take it all on he won’t have to worry. Or maybe its just that I feel more deeply because I see the world in a new way, this little guy has given me a third eye, a beyond ordinary perception only known to mothers. And then again maybe its just the hormones.

Sadly, there is no photo from week 23, thanks to Hurricane Sandy. During most of week 23 we were refugees staying at Luke’s dad’s apartment because the power went out for all of lower Manhattan. It went out Monday night and didn’t return till Friday evening. Even now, we still have no hot water, heat or Internet. But of course, Sandy cause a lot more devastation around the tri-state area and all in all we were very lucky. It was a difficult week being away from home but now we are back and onto week 24! (photo in a day or two).

We also were not able to have Luke’s big 30th birthday party due to the storm. We were however left with one giant cake meant for 100 people and happily before the lights went out some friends came over to help us eat as much of it as we could. So here is one picture of me right at the beginning of week 23 with a HUGE piece of cake.

22 weeks! Had a check up appointment today with my midwife, all is well with our little man. Fundal height is exactly where it should be and his heart beats at 152/minute. I also got a flu shot. Next up is glucose screening.

Today is also the soon-to-be-daddy’s 30th birthday!!! We have celebrations is store for tonight and a BIG party happening on Sunday. I can’t believe that in just a few short months when I turn 30, I’ll be able to share the moment with my little boy. Luke, I love you with all my heart and I know you are going to be the most incredible father to our son. He’s moving around lots for you today, wishing that he could give you a big kiss!

Baby Luke! Quite possibly a very similar face to the one I’ll be staring at in just 4 months

Wow. 20 weeks!! We are officially at the half way mark! The first 20 weeks flew by so I’m just imagining that our little boy will be here before we know it. Eeeek. I’m insanely excited, and although there is A LOT to do before he arrives, I can not wait for February. I know Luke feels the same way because he often asks if the baby can come now (so cute).

This past week my appetite has sky-rocketed. After my morning sickness was over I thought I had a good appetite but it was nothing compared to this past week. I just can not eat enough. I basically need to be eating non stop, all day long. It is just such a funny experience for me because I’ve spent my whole life wishing I could eat more. I love food so it was always so sad when I’d need to leave amazing food on my plate because I just couldn’t fit another bite. I always became full quickly and often would get nauseous or uncomfortable easily. But now, it just so much fun to eat and eat. This is by far my favorite pregnancy side effect. On the less fun side…I keep getting a stuffy nose and congestion. Oh well, the good with the bad.

Hello, 19 weeks. Things are pretty much the same as they were last week. Feeling the baby move and looking more and more pregnant each day. Luke has been able to feel the movements as well which has been fun.

Yesterday we learned that our little boy is going to have an instant buddy right from the start because our super close friends Vanessa and Mark are also having a boy! Vanessa and I have been the best of friends since middle school. We did everything together in high school and then found ourselves at Skidmore together. So, needless to say, being pregnant at the same time has been a dream come true. We don’t know any other couples having babies so it’s great to have one that we can share this amazing experience/journey with. Vanessa is due just 9 days before me and now to find out we are both having boys….its just crazy!!! I can’t wait to see our two little dudes playing, learning and growing together. So many trips to the park with these sweet little boys in our future!

18 weeks and feeling good! It’s been a full week of knowing we have a boy on the way and each day as the reality sets in I get more and more excited to have a son and of course I can’t wait to meet him. I was looking at some of the clothes and toys I had bookmarked for my registry and there wasn’t a thing on there that I needed to take off because it was “too girly.” I’ve never liked pink or been much into Barbie and princesses, so (for now) I’m happy to bypass all that.

I’m starting to feel all his movement more regularly and now they truly feel like light kicks, there really isn’t any other way to describe it. No more popcorn or flutters…just a little person inside me moving around. Other new developments include a few bouts of heartburn and for the last three nights I’ve had more trouble sleeping than usual. I know the sleeping will only get worse so I’ll just be grateful that at least for the past 18 weeks I was sleeping really well and perhaps I’ll be able to sleep well again in another 18 years.

Here I am at 17 weeks and time has definitely flown by since we found out I was pregnant about 13 weeks ago (I will definitely need to do a post about the first 17 weeks of this pregnancy at some point). I truly cannot believe how big I am already, it’s been quite a shock for me but completely amazing at the same time. I hit 17 weeks on Monday but Luke and I were celebrating our two year anniversary for the last few days so I haven’t had a chance to share yet. Right now I feel great, I sleep well and eat well and in general I just spend each day so happy and excited to be pregnant. Although, I was surprised by my growing belly, it is also definitely really nice to have a legit “bump” to show the world. The biggest thing that has happened this week is that I’ve started to feel our little boy move! It is an incredible feeling and so clear to me that it’s him. If feels like popcorn gently popping. I was looking out for a fluttering feeling that so many of the books and websites mentioned but that hasn’t quite been the sensation. It don’t notice it unless I’m relaxing while watching TV or reading a book and now that I know I can feel it I definitely try to bring it about while I’m lying down. I’ll make belly rolls to try and move him about. I hope you don’t mind little baby but it’s just too wonderful to feel you moving.